Hand mit Uhr, Public art sculpture in Hansa quarter, Berlin, Germany.
Hand mit Uhr is a 4.5-meter (15-foot) bronze sculpture in the Hansa quarter that depicts an oversized hand clutching a working digital clock. The metallic figure combines bronze, nickel silver, and steel materials mounted on a concrete base within the street environment.
Sculptor Joachim Schmettau created this work in 1975 as part of a public art funding program designed to enhance community spaces. The installation emerged during a period when Berlin invested in art projects to strengthen neighborhood identity.
The work merges human form and timekeeping in a way that connects residents with their surroundings in daily life. Passersby notice how the open palm presents the clock as something ordinary and integrated into the street.
The sculpture sits at the intersection of Altonaer Strasse and functions as a readable public clock while serving as a clear landmark for meeting. The digital display remains easily visible from various angles and the surrounding concrete plaza provides comfortable standing space.
The digital clock embedded in the hand has operated for nearly 50 years and undergoes periodic technical updates while maintaining its original sculptural design. This balance between historical artwork and practical function makes it an unusual example of how public art can remain genuinely useful in urban life.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
